THE PRIDWIN HOTEL

floor (remember, this place was built 2,000 years ago) expected to be completed in 2023. The floor had been removed by archeologists in the 1800s, exposing the underground network of tunnels where gladiators and lions waited before the Roman blood sports began.

Once the floor is rebuilt, the government expects to hold cultural events like concerts and exhibitions at the Colosseum (no blood sports, with the exception of the occasional fistfight between superfans), so there will be new things to see for eternity at this ancient monument.

The Trevi Fountain

On to the Trevi Fountain, a true architectural masterpiece. Of course, we turned our back and threw our coins in to ensure our return. Completed in 1762 and inaugurated by Pope Clement XIII, the fountain’s name signifies its location at the junction of three roads―tre vie in Italian. One of Rome’s most high-profile sites, the Trevi has been immortalized in movies like Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, in which Anita Ekberg waded into the fountain with Marcello Mastroianni. The ancient practice of tossing coins into a fountain was popularized by the 1954 American movie Three Coins in the Fountain and the Oscar-winning song of the same name.

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The Catacombs

Last stop was the Catacombs, where the remains of multiple popes of the roughly 270 who have been the Bishops of Rome lie. This is the perfect end of our tour, as it’s a blessed 55 degrees several stories underground, and the site stretches for 12 miles.

Another fabulous dinner, this time pasta with truffles and porcini mushrooms and eggplant with cheese―wickedly delicious. Really, terrific food is everywhere in Rome; you’re spoiled for choice. Ask your hotel concierge for dining recommendations if you’re overwhelmed.

After a good night’s sleep, we packed and headed for the port, an hour from the hotel, for our cruise to Greece and Turkey Santorini

Santorini-Minoan Ruins

Our first stop was Santorini, the island that is the epitomeof the Greek Isles, known for its dazzling sunlit blue-green cliffs speckled with whitewashed villages cascading down to the shoreline. It is a picture postcard come to life. Ride the funicular up and eat at a cliffside restaurant to take in the panoramic views overlooking the Aegean Sea. Tip: Arrange for a van and driver to take you around, as it’s not easy to find a taxi.

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Known as Greece’s Pompeii, Akrotiri is an ancient Minoan city on Santorini that was buried in ash from a catastrophic volcanic eruption in the 17th century B.C. Uncovered in 1967, the ruins are remarkably well preserved, making this one of the most significant archaeological sites in Greece. Housed within a cool protective structure, you’ll pass through a city complete with roads and elaborate drainage systems, and peek at wall paintings inside buildings that survived. A guided tour is best. There’s also the Museum of Prehistoric Thera that tells the story of ancient Akrotiri.

Mykonos- Delos Island

We are on Mykonos; there is a nice breeze to keep us cool, and the island’s glitzy beach club, Nammos, and new-ish (2020) Soho House are the places to see and be seen. Known for its decadent nightlife, Mykonos is also a longtime magnet for the jet set and their mega-yachts. Chic guests over the years have included Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, Grace Kelly, Marlon Brando, Princess Soraya (wife of the Shah of Iran), and Jackie O, for whom a beach club is named, and where we took in a drag show during our visit. The Sistine Chapel

The Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Turkey

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Famous folks still flock here in droves in more recent years Mariah Carey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone, Alessandra Ambrosio, Demi Moore, Gerard Butler, Linda Evangelista, and Ariana Grande have all enjoyed this jewel of the Aegean. Indeed, at Nammos we saw Elon Musk whooping it up at lunch. Of course, Mykonos has plenty AMIDST THE SCROLLS WAS A to do for every taste fabulous

SECRET TUNNEL THAT LED beaches, even for families, DIRECTLY TO A BROTHEL, SO water sports, great shopping THE OLDEST JOKE IN TURKEY from tourist trinkets to Chanel, WAS FOR A HUSBAND TO SAY charming towns to explore,

“HONEY, I’M GOING TO THE and the famous windmills LIBRARY TO STUDY,” that are the island’s mostphotographed site. While on Mykonos, take a boat to the sacred island of Delos, the mythical birthplace of Apollo and Aphrodite, a Unesco World Heritage site, and one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. This small island features a well-preserved ancient city containing theremains of a sanctuary to the gods Apollo and Artemis, plus an on-site museum with one of the finest collections of ancient Greek sculpture and artefacts. I’ve been coming to this idyllic island since I was a teenager, and although the crowd has changed dramatically, its charms have not been totally extinguished by the cruise ships and the day trippers, at least not yet.

Ephesus, Turkey

We headed toEphesus, a harbor city in Turkey packed with history dating from 6000 B.C., once home to Amazon female warriors who would cut off one breast so they’d excel at archery. Nest ce Pas? Of Turkey’s many ancient cities and classical ruins, Ephesus, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is the grandest and best preserved.

Just outside Ephesus, we went to the home of the Virgin Mary, a chapel built atop the foundations of a ruined house where she is said to have lived for several years. It is believed that the Apostle John brought the Virgin Mary to Ephesus near the end of her life. A French priest found the house in 1881 based on the visions of a bedridden German nun, Anne Catherine Emmerich, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2004.

We then went to the ancient city itself, which is clearly laid out with quite a number of buildings more or less intact, with wonderful examples of Doric andCorinthain